Nothing says cozy fall baking quite like a warm slice of pumpkin spice coffee cake. This soft, moist coffee cake is made with pumpkin puree, brown butter, Greek yogurt, and plenty of warm spices, then layered with a buttery pumpkin spice streusel and finished with a simple cinnamon glaze.
And that streusel isn’t just on top! Half of it goes right into the center of the cake, giving every slice a sweet, crumbly layer before you even get to that thick streusel topping.
This is the kind of cake that belongs next to a hot cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning. It’s easy enough for weekend baking but special enough for Thanksgiving breakfast, holiday brunch, or dessert after a family dinner. If you’re ready for pumpkin season, this one needs to be on your baking list.
If you think this sounds good, be sure to try our jumbo pumpkin muffins, too!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Moist and tender pumpkin cake
- Rich brown butter adds a deep, nutty flavor
- Loaded with cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
- Two layers of buttery streusel
- Greek yogurt keeps the cake soft and moist
- Finished with an easy cinnamon glaze
- Perfect with coffee or tea
- Great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
- A delicious recipe for fall and the holidays
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Pumpkin Puree: The heart of the coffee cake. It adds that classic pumpkin flavor while keeping the cake soft and moist.
- Brown Butter: Gives the cake a rich, nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the pumpkin and warm fall spices.
- Greek Yogurt: Adds moisture and richness, helping the coffee cake stay tender without feeling too heavy.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Ginger: This cozy spice blend brings all the warm fall flavor and makes the pumpkin really shine.
- Streusel Topping: Adds buttery, spiced crumbles both inside and on top of the cake, giving you a delicious contrast between the soft cake and the crumbly topping.
- Cinnamon Glaze: Adds a sweet, lightly spiced finish, making the coffee cake feel extra special.
Variations
- Pumpkin: Use sweet potato puree for a sweet potato version.
- Greek yogurt: Sour cream can be used in place of the Greek yogurt.
- Vanilla: Use vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla bean paste.
- Nuts: Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel for extra crunch.
- Maple glaze: Add a little maple extract to the glaze for a maple-pumpkin combination.
- Chocolate: Fold mini chocolate chips into the cake batter.
- Extra spice: Increase the pumpkin pie spice if you like a stronger fall spice flavor.
- Caramel: Drizzle caramel sauce over individual slices before serving.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
Step 1: Cook the butter over medium heat until it turns amber, develops a nutty aroma, and brown bits form on the bottom. Pour into a large mixing bowl and cool until warm.
Step 2: Whisk the sugar into the brown butter. Then, whisk in the remaining wet ingredients.
Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Then, mix them into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Step 4: Mix the melted butter and crumble ingredients until a crumbly streusel forms.
Step 5: Spread half the batter into a prepared 8×8 baking dish. Then top with half the streusel.
Step 6: Repeat the layers. Then, bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool.
Step 7: Whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth. Thin with additional milk if required.
Step 8: Drizzle the glaze over the coffee cake and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Watch the brown butter carefully. Once it begins browning, it can burn quickly.
- Don’t leave those brown bits behind. They’re packed with the rich, toasted flavor that makes brown butter so delicious.
- Use pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sweeteners and spices and isn’t interchangeable in this recipe.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until the flour disappears to help keep the cake tender.
- Spread the middle layer gently. The batter is going over loose streusel, so use a spatula and work carefully.
- Check the center before removing it from the oven. A toothpick or cake tester should come out clean.
- Cool before glazing. Adding glaze to a hot cake will cause it to melt and soak into the topping.
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake FAQs
Pumpkin pairs especially well with cinnamon, maple, caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, pecans, walnuts, and warm spices such as ginger and nutmeg. Coffee, chai, and apple flavors also complement the cake beautifully.
Ingredients that contribute moisture and fat help create a tender coffee cake. In this recipe, pumpkin puree, whole milk Greek yogurt, eggs, and brown butter work together to keep the crumb soft and moist.
Mix the streusel ingredients only until coarse crumbs form. Avoid overworking the mixture or pressing the topping firmly into the batter. Leaving irregular crumbs creates more of the buttery, textured topping associated with coffee cake.
Check the center of the cake with a toothpick or cake tester. It should come out clean or without wet batter. The center should also appear set rather than wet or jiggly.
Pecans and walnuts are both excellent choices. Their rich, toasted flavor complements pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, maple, and the nutty notes of brown butter.
It can be either. Serve it alongside coffee or tea for breakfast and brunch, or turn it into dessert with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or another sweet topping.
For a thicker glaze, add a little more powdered sugar. For a thinner drizzle, gradually whisk in small amounts of milk until you reach the desired consistency.
A hot cake can cause powdered sugar glaze to melt and disappear into the streusel. Allowing the cake to cool helps the glaze remain visible on top and gives it a more defined drizzle.
Individual pieces can be warmed briefly in the microwave until just warm. Avoid overheating them, which can make the cake tougher and cause the glaze to melt completely.
Apple desserts, pecan treats, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin muffins, and other warmly spiced baked goods pair well with pumpkin coffee cake. A combination of pumpkin, apple, and pecan desserts also works nicely for a fall brunch or holiday spread.
Delicious Pairings for Your Pumpkin Coffee Cake
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Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- ½ cup + 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
Streusel Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup butter, melted
Glaze Drizzle
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- In a medium sized saucepan, brown butter over medium heat. Stir constantly and cook until butter starts to turn a slight amber color.
- Remove from heat and pour browned butter and all the brown bits into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 5-10 minutes or until slightly warm.
- Add brown sugar to the browned butter and whisk until combined.
- Whisk in the eggs, vanilla bean pastes, pumpkin puree, and Greek yogurt. Mix until fully combined.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and ginger.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until fully incorporated.
- Streusel Topping
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.
- Add flour, sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice into the melted butter and stir until combined.
- Pour ½ of the cake batter into the prepared 8×8 baking dish, then top with ½ of the streusel mixture, adding the remaining batter on top of the streusel, followed by the remaining streusel on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Glaze Drizzle
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk.
- Once the cake has cooled, drizzle with glaze and enjoy.
Notes
- Watch the brown butter carefully. Once it begins browning, it can burn quickly.
- Don’t leave those brown bits behind. They’re packed with the rich, toasted flavor that makes brown butter so delicious.
- Use pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sweeteners and spices and isn’t interchangeable in this recipe.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until the flour disappears to help keep the cake tender.
- Spread the middle layer gently. The batter is going over loose streusel, so use a spatula and work carefully.
- Check the center before removing it from the oven. A toothpick or cake tester should come out clean.
- Cool before glazing. Adding glaze to a hot cake will cause it to melt and soak into the topping.
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